Niladri Bije fiasco: Posters of ‘absconding’ servitors put up in Puri

Puri: Posters of the eight servitors, who have been declared absconders by the district police, were found at various busy locations here today.

The posters were put up by police at key places in the town like the railway station, bus stand entrance, district Collector’s office, Shree Mandir temple office, Town police station on Friday.

Banners carrying photograhs of the servitors, including Damodara Mahasuara and his brother Jayakrusna Mahasuara, who are accused of manhandling and misbehaving with the Puri Collector during the Niladri Bije on July 17, were issued by the district police on July 27 after they secured non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against six servitors from the Puri SDJM court. The cops had identified two others from the video footage.

The posters announce that the person who would give any information about the eight servitors would be rewarded.

“The eight absconding servitors have been given one-month time till September 12 to appear in the court and present their side. Otherwise, if they conceal their presence, police will initiate the process for confiscation of their movable and immovable properties under section 83 of CrPC and inform the court accordingly”, Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi told media persons today.

With the police all set to take strong against the eight servitors, the Daitapati Nijog has toned down its stance.

“In my opinion, the issue should be amicably and permanently sorted out. We have expressed our profound regret over the incident and have apologised to the district collector and SP. Let the district administration call up all the absconding servitors and settle the issue permanently,” assistant secretary, Daitapati Nijog, Binayak Dasmohapatra told media persons here today.

Senior Daitapati servitor Damodar Padhani said there might be one or two servitors who have abused the collector. But the rest six servitors were the onlookers against whom the action taken by the police is excess. It is not wise for the police to have long-standing enmity with the servitors. The time is now for an amicable solution to the issue.